PURCHASING TOOLS

• There are a variety ways in which food may be ordered from suppliers which include the
following:

ELECTRONIC ORDERING SYSTEM

• This is a high-tech option where your computerized internal stock system talks to the computer
at the supplier’s business and automatically generate orders when pre-determined (minimum)
stock levels have been reached. This is not commonly available option.

TELEPHONE ORDERS

• This is probably the most common purchasing option given the short lead time which often
applies to most food which needs to be ordered. That is, an order often needs to be placed after
lunch for delivery same day, before the evening meal or for delivery first thing next day.

• The authorized person simply phones the supplier and places an order, identifying themselves
either by name/address and/or by a prescribed password/code. These phone orders may be
followed-up by some form of documentation (Purchase Order), or may be stand-alone orders
with no accompanying paperwork.

PURCHASE ORDERS

• A Purchase Order properly signed by the appropriate person provides the basis for delivering the
goods listed on the document and charging for them. Some venues will insist no order is placed
(or paid for) unless accompanied by an authorised Purchased Order. Even in these businesses it
is common for phone orders to be paced an the order delivered before the correct
documentation is raised to ensure foods are delivered on time/when needed.

• The supplier may have their own pre-printed order forms, which may be part of a
Catalogue/price List, given to you to assist in this process. Alternatively, the venue may have
their own printed Purchase Orders which require an authorised signature of the Head Chef,
owner or manager before thy are deemed to be valid.

FACE-TO-FACE ORDERS

• Some suppliers have employees (’sales representatives’) who call on business to build rapport
and advise on new products, inform you of Special Deals and take orders. These orders ay be
accompanied by an authorized Purchase Order or simply be one-off orders given verbally.

ONLINE ORDERS

• This increasingly common option combines the benefits of Purchase Orders with the speed of
the telephone as well as allowing you to place an order with suppliers who offer this facility at ay
time on any day. Venues/kitchens are allocated an Outlet Number and Password to facilitate
their Login to the online system and to ensure only they can place orders for their venue. It is
also known as e-purchasing.

• This increasingly common option combines the benefits of Purchase Orders with the speed of
the telephone as well as allowing you to place an order with suppliers who offer this facility at ay
 time on any day. Venues/kitchens are allocated an Outlet Number and Password to facilitate
their Login to the online system and to ensure only they can place orders for their venue. It is
also known as e-purchasing.

• This has similar benefits to ordering on-line. Where purchase orders are used the fax machine
may be the preferred method of lodging orders as it allows orders to be placed at any time and
enables proof the orders has been placed.

STANDING ORDERS

• In some cases, such as with the bakery and dairy supplier, it is possible to arrange for standing
orders to be implemented. A standing order is one that is activated on a regular basis as
arranged. For instance, you may have a standing order with the bakery to deliver 20litres of milk
every Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

These standing orders are automatically delivered as arranged without the need to actually place an
order. They may be increased or decreased as trade requires, and they my even be canceled where
necessary by aking a phone call to the supplier

Information Needed When Ordering Supplies for Production

When ordering food and beverage supplies then you need to provide the following indicators:

• Sufficient detail of each product required to enable the supplier to accurately fill the order.

• Business information and delivery details.

Sufficient Details of Each Product

Information you needed to give to the supplier will vary depending on whether the item is raw, fresh or
processed. In all cases a combination of the descriptors/details presented below will need to be used, for
example:

• Description of the item as follows:

o Meat and poultry- by animal type, age and cut

o Fruit and vegetables- by type, variety an grade/quality

o Packaged, processed and pre-prepared food-by type, variety brand name and unique product
descriptors/identifiers.

Sufficient Details of Each Product

• Amount and size of each item required- the way to describe this will vary depending on the
item/ingredient with option being:

o By quantity, number or units- ‘six 750 ml bottles’; ‘2 cartons’; 6 x 1 kg bags’

o By weight- ’10 kg A grade beef mince’; ‘500 gm South Sea rock salt’

o By volume- ‘2 x 10 liters full cream milk’; ‘500 ml Dairy Fresh sour cream’.
Business Information and Delivery Details

It is also important to note that you will/may also need to provide the following details of information to
your suppliers:

• The name of your venue

• The trading name of the business

• Your name

• Details of any password or code which identifies you and confirms the order being placed is a
legitimate one.

• When the delivery is required- by day/date and time of day

• Address for delivery- including specific location within the venue (for example, ‘Mai store’, ‘Main
kitchen’, International bistro’)

Food and Beverage Purchase Specifications

Venues/kitchens develop and use food specifications to specify the food they require in order to attain
the following objectives:

• Hospitals and age care facilities

• Fast food franchises

• Big operations that purchase large volumes of particular items.

Many suppliers do not operate on the basis of purchase specifications-they supply products as in their
catalogue/price list.

Why Enterprise Uses Food and Beverage Specifications

Venues/kitchens develop and use food specifications to specify the food they require in order to attain
the following objectives:

• Maintain the standard and quality of the food they produce- the standard/quality of menu items
relates directly to the standard/quality of the base ingredient.

• Control/define the quality of certain ingredients bought from supplier- to help ensure their
suitability for their anticipated use: allowing you to define lesser/lower quality and hence
cheaper ingredients where their final use enables their use without adversely impacting on
quality. For example, may wet dishes can be quite adequately produced using less than optimum
quality vegetables, where this is not the case with vegetables to be used in salads or sandwich
fillings.

• Eliminate doubt about what is required- using food specifications gives certainty about what is
needed and removes uncertainty.
 Why Enterprise Uses Food and Beverage Specifications

• Save labor- where the specification sets out (for example) the trim requirements of meat, and
the needed for cuts of meat to be sliced into certain thicknesses/weights this saves kitchen staff
having to spend time undertaking these basic food preparation activities.

• form a standard basis on which to undertake competitive tendering- by ensuring all tenderers
are quoting for the same product.

• Provide an objective and standard framework for inspecting food- on delivery to the venue.

• Give certainty regarding financial matters- in relation to cost prices.

Contents of Food Specifications

Specifications will differ depending on the food being specified. For example the details
contained in a food specifications for legs of lamb will differ markedly to requirements for fillets
of fish, a certain variety of lettuce or whole chickens. This understood that standard
specifications information can including the following:

• Product name

• Product category- convenience, frozen, fresh, refrigerated

• Quality specifications:

-Colour -Thickness

-Count -Trim

-Texture -Tolerances

-Unit Size -Grade

-Shape -Weight and yield data

Contents of Food Specifications

• Packing format- such as umber of tins per carton; dimensions of cartons

• Nutritional content/requirements

• Required labeling data

• Brand name- where applicable

• Photograph o graphic/diagram of what is required

• Variety- where applicable

• Storage requirements
• What the product/item is to be used for

• Special instructions or requirements- this can relate to the delivery of he product, product
sampling, product testing, and/or storage

• Substitute product

• Maximum cost price- per unit/item or other specified measure

• Temperature at which item is to be delivered.

Preparing Production Sheets/Work Schedules

Some kitchen develop production sheets/work schedules as part of their standard planning
activities prior to a food production/service session. This section discusses the role of production
sheets/work schedules and describes their use.

The Role of Production Sheets/Work Schedule

Not all venues/kitchens use production sheets/work schedules and where they are used there is
a significant variation in the format and the information they contain. In a unit where they are
used they should be prepared daily for each food production/service session. In brief, a
production sheet/work schedule sets food production targets for the session. A production
sheet/work schedule identities the following factors for each session/day:

Menu items (by name) which have to be prepared- identification may address (depending on the
format of the sheet/schedule):

o Mise en place requirements

o Finished products

Every menu item listed should have a corresponding standard recipe

The Role of Production Sheets/Work Schedule

Every menu item listed should have a corresponding standard recipe

Some operators will attach a copy of these standard recipes to the production sheet/work
schedule when distributing then to staff.

Quantity to be produced

The kitchen section responsible for the work to be done

Start time for preparation/production

Time each menu item is required.

 Why an Enterprise Uses of Production Sheets/Work Schedules?

Production sheets/work schedules are used by the operations in order to achieve the following
objectives:

Force management/chiefs to plan the production of food- so attention is paid to ensuring all
identified requirements are met

Provide a basis for ordering food required- ensuring food orders only reflect identified need
thereby avoiding over-ordering of unnecessary ingredients

Assist the communication between management/chefs and other kitchen staff- by providing
certainty about what is required through the use of paper-based directions

The production sheet/work schedule is distributed and discussed at the staff briefing at the start
of each shift/session.

Form a vital element of developing work flow sheets for each food production session/shift

Guide and control the production of food:

 For immediate service/consumption

 Which item needed to be refrigerated or frozen for later use/thermalization.